JP2008519952A5 - - Google Patents

Description

Rotary valve

The present invention relates to a rotary valve, and more particularly to a rotary valve that controls air supply to an inflatable device.

Conventionally, used for example, for inflatable device such as an air mattress or a compression garment (compression garment), to supply compressed air in a predetermined order, a rotary valve to control the air supply from medical air pump it is known that.

In many rotary valves, the supply of compressed air in a predetermined order is determined by multiple ports and multiple channels built into two members, a rotor and a stator, that rotate relative to each other. The rotor and the stator, in a state where the flat coupling side forms an airtight seal, a disc of a suitable rigid material which is held together by spring force.

When the rotor rotates relative to the fixed stator, the different ports in the combination surfaces of the two members are connected to each other, whereby the path of the compressed air through the rotary valve is changed. The port connections are designed and manufactured to follow the desired expansion sequence for the inflatable device.

The order of port connections is very clever, but larger diameter valves are needed when the required order becomes more complex, but the larger diameter valves are expensive and difficult to manufacture, A high torque motor is required to drive the large diameter valve. Moreover, designs with complex port connections create a limited separation between multiple ports, leading to inaccuracies and air leaks.

  The present invention has been made in view of the drawbacks of the prior art, and its object is to seek improvements.

Therefore, the present invention is a rotary valve for controlling the air supply to an inflatable device, comprising a planar surface, a plurality of ports for communicating with the inflatable device, and an air source a stator member having a further port, a to, a first rotor member having a planar surface, rotatably contacts and faces the planar surface of said stator member, a plurality of and a port and a plurality of channels, when in contact with said stator member, said the first rotor member to be supplied with air from the further port, has a planar surface, and said first rotation a second rotor member rotatably contacts facing child member, wherein the second rotor member having a plurality of channels and ports, and the first rotor member first and rotating the second rotor member At least one drive means, and a control device for driving, provides a rotary valve and a control means for controlling the duration of air supply to the inflatable device.

Preferably, a single drive means rotates the two rotor members relative to each other and relative to the stator member . In a preferred embodiment, the drive means moving said first rotor member relative to the stator member also a detent which is fixed to the valve body abuts, of said rotor member 1 The second rotor member can be driven by one arm, and the abutment fixes the rotor member together with the arm while the other rotor member continues to rotate.

In another preferred embodiment, the rotor member is driven by the driving means, during relative movement of said rotor member so as to allow the discharge of air into the atmosphere, it is opened at a certain position Make it possible.

In another preferred embodiment, the relative movement of the rotor member is sealed all ports in one position of the valve member, it is vented to the atmosphere in the second position.

In another aspect of the present invention, the present invention provides a rotary valve for controlling air supply to an inflatable device, wherein the stator member is rotatably contacted against the stator member. a rotor member having a tooth-like profile on its outer circumferential surface, and a driving means for driving the rotor member, said driving means to drive the rotor member, the teeth of the rotor member Provide a rotary valve that cooperates with the contour of the shape. It said drive means to drive the motor, it is preferred to include a belt that tooth profile cooperating with said rotor member.

The present invention, conventional rotary valve comprising a stator and a rotor, an electric motor gearbox, the coupling device and for connecting the output shaft of the gearbox to the rotor, but to drive the rotor, the present invention has the advantage between said gearbox and said coupling device is replaced with a gear or belt drive system. Due to the reduced number of parts, the entire system is simplified.

Preferably, the outline of the gear teeth of the rotor member is an integral part of the main body of the rotor member . Gear reduction is small gear or pinion on the driving motor shaft, and is provided by the large gear of the contour at the outer periphery of the rotor member, whereby, without having a separate gearbox, step - down - Gear and An increase in effective torque can be realized. Also, additional coupling device for connecting the motor to the rotor as in the prior art systems is not required.

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings, it will be described in detail the present invention by the embodiment.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, the rotary valve is mounted on a plate as shown in FIG. 1, and the motor 13 is mounted on the plate with the drive pulley 14 fixed directly to the drive shaft 15 of the motor 13. is doing. The toothed belt 16 is driven by the drive pulley 14 and engages with the tooth-shaped contour of the outer periphery 20 of the first rotor 11 to rotate the rotor 11 and the rotor 12 with respect to the stator 10. The rotors 11 and 12 can be driven in an arbitrary direction by a motor . Preferably , the tooth-shaped contour around the outer periphery of the rotor 11 is an integral part of the rotor 11 . A properly pulled belt drive 16 connects the two pulley profiles , and gear reduction is achieved by the relative number of teeth in each pulley profile.

Instead of the belt driving device 16, the rotor 11 may be provided with a spur gear outline on its outer periphery so as to mesh with a corresponding driving pinion attached to the driving shaft of the motor 13.

FIG. 2 shows the planar surfaces of the stator 10 and the rotors 11, 12 that face each other in an exploded view . The spring 21 is provided to press these valve members against each other.

The stator surface 22 has a central hole 23 for the introduction of pressurized air from a pump (not shown) . The pump is connected to the air inlet 24 on one side of the stator surface 22 . The stator surface 22 also includes a plurality of ports 25 connected to an outlet port 28 for connection to an inflatable device .

Surface 26 of the first rotor, to 29 cooperate with the plurality of ports of a plurality of ports 25, 28 and the second rotor 12 of the stator 10 includes a plurality of ports 30. Surface 27 of the second rotor includes a plurality of ports 29 for selecting the path of the air with a combination of a plurality of ports 25 and 28 of the plurality of ports 30 and stator of the first rotor.

In operation, when the first rotor and / or the second rotor is rotated, the plurality of channels and a plurality of ports in the joining face of the airtight between the rotor 11 and the stator 10, Connected or disconnected as required depending on the desired order of expansion.

The first rotor 11 and second rotor 12, driven by a motor 13. Any suitable one or more motors can be used to drive the rotors 11 , 12 . In a preferred embodiment as shown in FIG. 3, the second rotor 12 has an arm 33 on its outer periphery, the arms 33, during the rotation of the second rotor 12, in the valve body ready contact with the contact portion 5, as a result, while the movement of the second rotor is prevented, the first rotor continues to rotate.

The first rotor 11 and the second rotor 12 have a lifting cam profile 6 between the first rotor 11 and the second rotor 12 , and the lifting cam profile 6 has this relative rotation. Inside, the second rotor 12 can be lifted away from the face of the first rotor , thereby breaking the hermetic seal and allowing compressed air to be discharged into the atmosphere. Rotation in the opposite direction of the two rotors 11, 12 by the motor 13, consequently, the arm 33 is moved so that apart from the contact portion 5, the surface of the second rotor 12 is moved downward and cam profile 6 is in a state of re-tight seal engagement.

The two rotor 11 does not have a cam arrangement, the two rotors 11, 12 rotate relative to one another to provide a combination of different ports, and and slide it Thus, in one form , all ports are sealed, and in another form , all ports exhaust to the atmosphere. In addition, the second rotor 12 may have a plurality of intermediate ports that are relative to each other so that the two rotors provide further modification of the port connection to the valve. It changes as it is moved.

The valve is combined with a complex port connection or any type of expansion device air routing is required can be used Rukoto, the valve is to achieve this in a simple manner.

It is a schematic diagram which shows the rotary valve by this invention. It is an exploded view which shows the valve | bulb in FIG. FIG. 3 is an exploded view showing first and second rotors according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

5 abutting portion 6 lifts the cam contour 10 stator 11 first rotor 12 second rotor 13 the motor 14 the surface 23 around hole 24 air drive pulley 15 driving shaft 16 belts driving device 20 outer periphery 21 spring 22 the stator Inlet 25, 28 Stator port 26 First rotor surface 27 Second rotor surface 29 Port 30 for selecting air path First rotor port 33 Arm

Claims (3)

A rotary valve for controlling the air supply to the inflatable device,
A stator member having a planar surface, a plurality of ports for communicating with the inflatable device, and a further port for connecting to an air source;
Has a planar surface, and wherein a first rotor member rotatably contacts facing said planar surface of the stator member, and a plurality of ports and a plurality of channels, the when in contact with the stator member, a first rotor member for supplying air from the further port,
Has a planar surface, and said first a second rotor member rotor member and opposed to rotatably contact, a second rotor having a plurality of channels and ports Members,
At least one drive means for rotating said second rotor member and the first rotor member,
A control means for driving, and a control means for controlling the duration of the supply air to the inflatable device,
A single drive means rotates the first rotor member and the second rotor member relative to each other and relative to the stator member;
The driving means for driving the first rotor member with respect to the stator member is also in contact with a detent fixed to the valve body, and the first rotor member and the second rotation The second rotor member can be driven by an arm in one of the child members,
The contact portion fixes one rotor member together with the arm, while the other rotor member continues to rotate . Seal between said second rotor member and the first rotor member during relative movement of said first rotor member and the second rotor member, the air into the atmosphere The rotary valve according to claim 1 , wherein the rotary valve is allowed to be opened at a position so as to allow the discharge of gas. The relative movement of the first rotor member and the second rotor member, is sealed in one of the positions of all the ports governor Lube member, in which all ports the second position The rotary valve according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the rotary valve is exhausted to the atmosphere.